To remove part of a loadbearing wall you must temporarily support the walling above the opening. You will need to hire adjustable steel props and scaffold boards on which to support them. Where the beam is to be placed at ceiling level, hire extra boards to support the ceiling (1). Generally you will have to fit needles through the wall to transfer the load to the props (2). The needles must be at least 150 x 100mm (6 x 4in) in section.

Hire sufficient props to space them not more than 900mm (3ft) apart across the width of the opening. Buy the beam after the Building Control Officer’s inspection. It can then be supplied to your exact requirements.

Preparation and marking out

First remove the skirting boards from both sides of the wall. On one side of the wall, mark the position of the beam in pencil. Use a steel tape measure, spirit level and straightedge for accuracy.

Hang dust sheets around the work area on the opposite face of the wall to help contain much of the inevitable airborne dust; attach them with battens nailed over them at the top. Seal gaps around all doors with masking tape to prevent the dust from travelling throughout the house. Open windows in the rooms you are working in.

Inserting the needles

Mark the positions for the needles on the wall, then cut away the plaster locally and chisel a hole through the brickwork at each point. Finish level with the bottom of one course of bricks. Make the holes slightly oversize so you can easily pass the needles through. Position a pair of adjustable props under each needle not more than 600mm (2ft) from each side of the wall. Stand the props on scaffold boards in order to spread the load over the floor.

Adjust the props to take the weight of the structure and nail their base plates to the supporting boards to prevent them being dislodged.

Supporting the ceiling

If the ceiling needs supporting, stand the props on scaffold boards at each side of the wall and adjust them so they run virtually to ceiling height —they should be placed 600mm (2ft) from the wall. Place another plank on top of the pairs of props and adjust simultaneously until the ceiling joists are supported.

Hack off the plaster using a club hammer and bolster chisel, then start to cut out the brickwork, working from the top. Once you have removed four or five courses, cut the bricks at the side of the opening. Chop downwards with the bolster pointing in towards the wall to cut the bricks cleanly. Remove all the brickwork down to one course below the floorboards. As you work, load the rubble into stout polyethylene sacks; it may be worth hiring a skip. The job is laborious, but you can make it easier by using a hired power brick-cutting saw. Only use this method if you have experience with machine tools.

Supporting the wall

1. When removing a wall up to ceiling level, support the upper floor with scaffold boards and props alone when the joists pass through the brickwork to support the wall. Otherwise, in addition, use needles on jacks placed directly above the props.

2. Normally brickwork projects below the ceiling level and is supported on needles passing through holes in the wall.